Blog: January 2020 — December 2020

Each year on Labor Day Sunday morning, the Elders wrap up our sum­mer adult Sunday School series by leading a Prayer Walk around our church grounds.  As we turn the corner into the fall ministry season, we call upon God to lead and provide for his church. But this year, since we’re not meeting on site for Sunday School, we decided to ask our staff, Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, and other leaders to list their top prayer requests for our church.  They’ve done this, so “let us pray”!  Here's our collection of prayer requests. As I look over ...

Goshen Baptist Church - September 2020   Instead of leading a Prayer Walk on Labor Day Sunday this year, the Elders have asked a number of Goshen leaders to share prayer requests for our church ministry (see below).  Please take time this weekend, and in the coming weeks, to call out to the Father (ask, seek, knock), and to seek the Lord for the advance of the Gospel in and through our church.  And pray also for the spread of his truth and love in the midst of all that’s going on in our world today.  Thank you.   Peter Nelson, Senior ...

OUTDOOR WORSHIP & PICNIC LUNCH Sunday, September 13 Friends, let’s get together in God’s great outdoors and sing his praises!  Here’s the plan: Outdoor Worship Service on the slope and in the field behind our church buildings, beginning at 10:30 a.m.  Please bring lawn chairs and blankets, take a seat in the shade, and join your brothers and sisters giving glory to our Christ the King!  And then linger afterwards for a… Picnic Lunch (please bring your own food—water bottles will be provided).  If you’ve been reticent to attend indoor ...

As Jesus traveled and taught, people were trying to figure Him out. Who was this man? Was He a prophet? Was He crazy? Where did He come from? Some people thought He was John the Baptist who had been raised from the dead; others thought He was Elijah or another ancient prophet. Peter recognized Jesus as God’s Messiah. (See Luke 9:19-20.) One of the ways Jesus revealed His identity was through His miracles. Jesus performed miracles to glorify God, to show He is the Son of God, and to care for people. For three of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, ...

Last Monday I began hearing from Goshen people who’d received an email claiming to be from me.  The subject line said, “Peace Unto You.”  Recipients were asked to email back promptly because “I need a favor.”  It ended with, “God Bless, Peter Nelson, Pastor.” Trouble is, this email did not come from me.  It seems that someone “out there” had hacked into some email message containing several GBC people’s addresses.  They’d also looked up our church online, found my name, and used it to try to draw people in. If anyone replied, a response ...

Jesus had just fed more than five thousand people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. After sending away the people and directing His disciples to go back across the sea, Jesus went to a mountain to pray. It was late, and He sought to be alone with His Father. Jesus was preparing to fulfill His Father’s plan. Before long, He would die on the cross and rescue people from sin. While Jesus prayed, the disciples struggled to cross the sea. A storm came and tossed their boat up and down. They didn’t make any progress against the waves. Then, in ...

Last Sunday we began a trek into the high peaks of Mark’s Gospel—with steep trails, thin air, and spectacular views of the Son of God!  Mark’s story of Jesus is fast-paced; the Messiah comes on the scene and takes charge!  This Jesus is the God-Man who’s come to do no less than transform your life and this world.  Here are a few key state­ments from and about Jesus in Mark’s Gospel: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15). “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still ...

Do you have a used phone, tablet and even laptop that you could donate to help spread the Gospel?  Missionaries are being trained in the Middle East, but they need devices to help them communicate and use the tools provided in training.  Specifically, they need unlocked GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile) phones and their accessories (chargers, case, etc.). If you can donate, there are a few things to do to prepare the phone or tablet or laptop. Phone or tablet. The detailed steps differ for Android vs. iOS (Apple).  For some simple steps, see ...

Jesus’ disciples had been working hard, teaching people and healing them. Jesus called them to go away with Him to a desolate place so they could rest. By now, Jesus’ popularity was so great that finding a place to be alone was difficult. When Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, the crowd of people were already waiting for them on the other side. Jesus saw the crowds, but He wasn’t frustrated or angry. He didn’t tell them to go away. Instead, He had compassion on them because they were lost—like sheep without a shepherd....

Our family spent last week at a cottage on the south shore of Lake Ontario.  The majesty of the Great Lakes has always grabbed my attention—they command respect the way a run-of-the-mill lake can’t match.  This time it was especially the range of moods that got to me:  dark, ominous waters under heavy thunderclouds; horizon glowing with sunset rays; calm and quiet; wavy and roaring; bright blue; and a faded gray sea merging into clouds with no separation. How is it the same vista can morph so dramatically?  Could it be that the Master ...

Ever said the phrase, “I need a vacation from my vacation”? Going on vacation can be hard work, especially with young kids, so when I started at GBC, I tried something new-  a two week vacation! As we all know, 2020 has been a trying year to say the least, so come July, I was more than ready for a break and needed to rest. We decided as a family to do a two week “quarantine-cation” to “keep it simple”, but as you could guess, that had it’s challenges too. It didn’t take long for me to grow frustrated and very self-centered as my ...

Going back to Scripture again and again is like taking a daily dose of medicine the Great Physician prescribes: we need God’s Word today, and we’ll need it again tomorrow.  And the next day.  Why is this? Because we drift.  We’re like our homes—things eventually wear out:  deck rails, stairway bannisters, garbage disposals, light switches, rugs, weather stripping…  You have to keep up on home maint­enance! So too, we need to give daily attention to our spiritual upkeep.  In our fallen nature, we’re prone to lose our focus over time and be ...

Did you know that Goshen Baptist Church has a library? If you haven't done so already, take the time to look at our selection of books. Summer is the perfect time to read a book. We have recently added a number of new books, both in the childrens and adult section. If you are looking for  something specific, there is a computer on the back counter that you can use to search our card catalog.  If you have questions about the church library, suggestions of books, or questions about donations, please feel free to contact the church librarians, ...

In yesterday's sermon we skimmed over Nahum 1:2, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God,…”  So let’s take a minute here today:  What does it mean that God is “jealous”?  Isn’t jealousy something we try to scrub out of our children and out of our own hearts?  We don’t sanction it; we don’t affirm it.  But God is a “jealous” God? Well, in fact, it’s good news that God is a jealous God (Nahum 1:2).  You see, what God is jealous for, or zealous for, is the honor of his own name—for his own glory.  Nineveh was worshipping idols (Nahum 1:14—the ...

  A very large crowd—thousands of people (Luke 12:1)—had gathered around Jesus as He taught His disciples. The people recognized Him as a rabbi (teacher), so it was not unusual that someone called out, asking Jesus to settle a financial dispute. But Jesus knew the man was motivated by greed, and He told a story. In Jesus’ parable, a rich man had so many crops that he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. That way, he could store everything he had and take it easy. But the man was foolish and short-sighted. He didn’t ...

In his book, A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken vividly tells of the love he and his wife Davy shared—an intense and self-giving devo­tion.  They sought to share everything:  “If one of us likes anything, there must be something to like in it—and the other one must find it.” Over time they realized, “The killer of love is creeping separateness… which was, in the last analysis, self.”  They fueled romance with self-altera­tion—no saying, “That’s just the way I am.”  Still, love between sinners get complicated:  “Should one of us change a ...

Summer has always been a season when the Goshen family both gathers and scatters.  But in summer 2020, this is truer than ever. In these pandemic times, a major question before us is how to be a healthy, unified church while some of us are coming to in-person worship services and others are remaining at a distance. Let me clarify that it’s right and good for some to keep their distance.  Health considerations prompt many people to avoid gatherings.  And with our current streamlined services (i.e., no Sunday School or child­care), some ...

J. I. Packer passed away at the age of 93 on July 17, 2020.  I have been helped a great deal by this godly, articulate, Christ-honoring theologian over the years.  In 2012, I wrote a short review of Packer's wonderful little book, Fundamentalism and the Word of God.  Here's what I said: I just read J. I. Packer’s 1958 book, Fundamentalism and the Word of God, and was struck by its relevance for today. Much about the world when Packer wrote is so different—no computers, no cell phones, Cold War raging, Eisenhower in the White House… it was ...

Prayer is personal communication with God. Many people aren’t sure how to pray or feel uncomfortable praying. To pray effectively, then, we must be taught how to pray. This is why Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus began with the Lord’s Prayer, not to establish the words we should use but to show how we should pray and what we should pray about. Through prayer, we demonstrate our dependence on and faith in the Lord. We should approach God as a Father and pray for His kingdom first and then for ourselves and others....

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says what my heart needs to hear! Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Our stained glass window, “Come Unto Me,” is taken from this text. Dane Ortlund, in his new book, Gentle and Lowly:  The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, says, “In only one place—perhaps the most wonderful words ever uttered by human ...